Automobile heater



Nov. 4, 1941. E. c. BOOTH 2,261,579

AUTOMOBILE HEATER Filed Dec. 5, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l f r w? l 7%-1. L I 1 zo I m Mi -"71 10 11mm 1 28 4 2 2'7 z;

JV 5 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 4, 1941. E. c. BOOTH 2,261,579

AUTOMOBILE HEATER Filed Dec. 5, 1938 3 SheetsSheet 2 21 Flag 2a J! 17 16 45 4f 49 51 K 1 l\ I .51 .1 L 3.7 7 i 'Z: 2a f: 29

INVENTOR. 592A Cfloc ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 4, 1941. E. c. soTl-l 2,261,579

AUTOMOBILE HEATER Filed Dec. 5, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 .Zfsigfil 1 A I i i 75 84 INVENTOR. L I [ii/P16500771,

ATTORNEYS.

?atented Nov. 4, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE auromonna: manna Earl C. Booth, Columbus, Ind, assignor to Noblitt-Sparks Industries, Inc., Columbus, 1116., a corporation of Indiana Application December 5, 1938, Serial No. 244,047

8 Claims. (01. 257137) This invention relates to an automobile-bod! heater, and particularly to a heater or the circulating-fluid type. Such a heater embodies a heat-exchanging core adapted to be connected into the cooling system of the engine, a casing enclosing such core, a fan or other air-moving means for advancing air through said core and discharging it from the casing, and deflectors or shutters for controlling the air so discharged.

It is the object of my invention to produce a heater or the type described which will be especially suitable for use in association with engines having a water-circulating pump that possesses a relatively low discharge pressure. A further object of my invention is to provide a simple and efiective means for controlling the direction and quantity of air discharged from the heater. Another object of my invention is to produce a durable, economical, and eiiicient core.

Still another object of my invention is to provide in association with the heater means for supplying to it air from outside the automobile hodIv and to provide an efiective means for filtering any air so admitted.

In carrying out my invention. I provide a. core in the form of nested U-shaped tubes corre sponding ends of which communicate with headers which are adapted for connection to inlet and discharge pipes for conveying water to and from the core. Within this core, I mount an electric motor the shaft of which extends outwardly beyond the core' and is there provided with a tan. A casing encloses the core and fan and has, in the plane of the fan, a curved side wall in which air-discharge openings are provided. Such air-discharge openings have associated with them means by which the quantity and direction of the air discharged may be controlled.

My improved form of core comprises a coresupport in the form of a generally U-shaped pocket formed of sheet-metal and having a bottom wall and laterally extending projections secured to the inner faces of the side walls of the heater-casing near the rear thereof. The motor is mounted within this pocket; while outside the pocket are located the nested U-shaped tubes the ends of which extend through and are secured to the laterally extending projections of the core-support.

The front end of the pocket in the core support is open and is adapted to communicate with a conduit extending to some point outside the car body for the admission of fresh air. This conduit contains, near its inlet end, a filter to remove dust and dirt from air entering the heater.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention: Figs. 1 and 2 are front and side elevations respectively of one form of heater; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 4; FigAisaverticalsectiononthelineMoi Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line S -5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modified form of heater; Fig. '1 is a plan view of the heater shown in Fig. 6 partially broken away on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7; Fig. 9 is a vertical section illustrating the heater of Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive associated with a fresh-air inlet conduit; Fig. 10 is an isometric view of the core support used in the preferred form of core construction; and Fig. 11 is a front elevation of a modified form of heater casing.

The heater illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive comprises a heater casing 15 within which is disposed a core I 6 having generally vertical air passages. Within the core I5, I mount an electric motor I! the shaft of which extends downwardly below the core and is there provided with a fan 18. as shown, the motor I! is secured to a bracket i1 depending from the top wall of the casing. A horizontal bailie 19 mounted within the casing 15 serves as a support for the core 16. A central opening in the bailie l9 provides for the passage oi. air from the core to the fan 18.

The heater casing 15 has a top wall 20 provided with air-inlet openings 21, here shown in the form of louvers. Additional air-inlet openings, also shown in the form of louvers 22, may be provided in the side walls of the casing near the rear thereof. Beneath the fan IS the casing has a bottom wall 23.

In horizontal plan, the front wall of the casing 15 is curved in substantially semicircular form, and, between the baflle l9 and bottom wall 23, is ofiset inwardly to provide an outwardly opening channel 25. A semicircular guide strip 26 01 metal having its ends secured to the side walls of the casing as indicated at 21 is disposed in the channel 25 and serves as a support for a pair of air deflectors 28 which are slidably mounted upon it in any convenient manner. The air deflectors may be provided respectively with handles 29 for use in moving them to any desired location along the strip 26.

Over the area occupied by the channel 25, the side wall of the heater casing 15 is provided with an arcuate series of spaced discharge openings 3D. A shutter member 3|, curved to lit the inner surface of the casing adjacent the discharge openings 30 is provided with a series of openings 32 corresponding in size and spacing to the openings 30, so that by circumferential adjustment of the shutter member 3| the effective size of the air-discharge openings 30 may be controlled. The position of the shuttermember 3! may be regulated by a handle 33 which projects outwardly through a horizontal slot in the front wall of the casing.

The arrangement of deflectors 28 and the shutter member 3| permits independent control of the quantity and direction of the air discharged from the heater. By controlling the position of the member 3|, the effective size of the air-discharge openings 30 can be controlled and the amount of heated air discharged from the heater correspondingly regulated, such regulation being secured entirely independently of the position of the air-deflectors 2'. These air deflectors are circumferentially slidable along the strip 26 throughout the extent thereof to obtain any desired distribution within the car of the air discharged from the heater. If the deflectors 28 are positioned in contact with each other at the front of the heater as indicated in Fig. 1, air will be discharged from the heater in two streams directed more or less obliquely toward the sides of the automobile body. With the deflectors arranged as indicated in full-lines in Fig. 5, one air stream will be directed laterally toward the left side of the body while the other will be directed generally rearwardly. If the lower deflector indicated in Fig. is moved from the full-.

line to the dotted-line position shown, substantially all the air discharged will be concentrated in one stream directed general'y toward the left side and rear of the automobile body.

If desired, the bottom wall 23 of the' casing may be provided around its curved front edge with a series of air discharge o enings 35 through which air will be directed downwardly toward the feet of the occu ants of the automobile. If the openings are employed. the shutter member II is desirably provided with a flan e 3* which extends radially inwardly immediate y above the bottom wall 23 of the casin t a point beyond the openings 15. This flan e ii is provided with a series of circumferentiallv s aced openings corresponding to the openings 35 and s disposed as to control the effective size of the openings 35 as the shutter member 3| is adjusted circumferential y to control the eifective size of the openin s 30.

The casin I5 may be r vid b low the cor IS with auxiliary air-outlet openin s II whic communicate res ective y with elbow fi tin s 4| each adap ed for connection to a c nduit leadin to a windshield defroster. The eff cti e area of the openin s ll may be c ntrolled b shutters which are slidably sup orted fr m the side walls of the heater casin and whi h are movab'e forwardly and rema dly ac ss th on ni s li. desirably through the medium of knobs 42' attached to such shutters and extending outwardly through slots in the side wall of the casing l5. As shown in Fig. 5, the upper shutter .2 completely closes its associated opening, while the lower one of the shutters 42 is retracted to uncover the opening ll and permit the discharge of air therethrough.

The core embodied in the heater illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive comprises two tiers of U- shaped tubes 45, the two tiers being vertically spaced and the tubes in each tier being horizon tally spaced. Between the tubes, between the inner tube and the motor I1, and between the outer tube and the casing ii there are provided heat-radiating fins l5 defining a multiplicity of vertical air passages and aiding in the transfer of heat from the liquid within the tubes 45 to air passing downwardly through the passages. Additional fins may, if desired, be provided in the space between the motor (I and the rear wall of the casing l5. All such fins may be constructed in any desired manner, as by repeatedly retroverting a strip of thin sheet metal. Corresponding ends of the tubes 45 communicate with headers 41 adapted for connection to the watercirculating system of the automobile engine. Conveniently, each header 41 has connected to it a fluid conduit 48, which extends forwardly of the automobile through a bushing H, the latter being secured to the casing l5 and extending through an opening in the dash of the automobile. Nuts 5l, screw-threadedly mounted on the bushings 49, engage the front face of the dash SI and serve to hold the heater in place.

In the heater illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive, the arrangement for controlling air discharged from the heater is somewhat different from that previously described. In this heater, the casing ill extends downwardly below the core ii and is provided on opposite sides with main air-discharge openings each of which is controlled by a door 62. Each door 62 is desirably mounted for swinging movement about a horizontal axis located near its upper edge so that when partially open it will serve to deflect the air discharged downwardly toward the feet of occupants of the car. Auxiliary air-discharge openings in the form of louvers 63 may be provided in the front of the casing ill, the louvers desirably being sloped to direct air downwardly.

Near the rear of the side walls of the casing SI air-outlets l are shown communicating with discharge conduits 65 extending to windshield defroster nozzles. Control of the air discharged through the conduit 65 may be eifected by means of butterfly valves 66 mounted in such conduits.

The preferred form of core embodied in the heaters shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 comprises a core-support of the ype illustratedin Fig. 10. This core-su port is formed of sheet-metal, conveniently a single piece of sheet-metal, and com prises a bottom wall ll, side walls H, and lateral extensions 12. The front end of the bottom wall II is semi-circular in configuration, and the side walls 1| are bent around the front of the bottom wall into overlapping relation to form a U-shaped po ket.

The core which is carried from the support illustrated in Fig. 10 comprises a series of horizontally spaced U-shaped tubes 15 extending around and parallel to the side walls H of the core support. Fins l6. desirably formed as convolutions in a strip of sheet metal, are disposed between the tubes, between the inner tube and the wall H of the core support, and along the outer surface of the outer tube.

In assembling the core on the core-support III, a strip of the corrugated finning material is laid over, the side walls H of the core-support. The inner one of the tubes 15 is then put in place over the fins, with each of its ends extending through the inner one of a series of openings II in each of the extensions 12. A second strip of finning material is then laid over the first tube, and the next tube is similarly put in place,

with its ends extending through the proper openings II in the extensions 12. This operation is repeated until all the tubes and fins are in place. The outer set of fins may be protected by a covering strip 18.

Desirably. before the assembly is begun, the surfaces of the core-support, the fins, the tubes and the covering strip have been tinned. After assembly, and while the fins, tubes, and strip 18 are still held in place on the core-support by any suitable means, each face of the assembly is dipped in molten solder which, when it solidifies, unites the core-parts into a single unit.

Following the operation just described, headers 80 are connected to the ends of the tubes 15 which project rearwardly through and beyond the extensions 12 of the core-support. These headers I have respectively associated with them conduits Si by which the core is connected into the engine cooling system.

The core, assembled as above described, is disposed in the casing 60 upon a fan-shroud 83 within which is disposed the fan 8 which draws air into the casing 60 through openings 85 in the upper wall thereof, causes such air to flow by the tubes and fins I6, and discharges it through the openings near the lower portion of the heater casing. The electric motor 85, by which the fan 84 is driven, is mounted in the core-support, desirably through the medium of studs or screws 8! which extend through openings in the bottom wall 10 of the core-support.

The core-assembly is held in place on the shroud 83 in any suitable manner. As shown, rivets or screws 88 pass through the shroud and through holes in the bottom wall 10 of the coresupport at the rear of the core while, at the front of the core, screws 88 passing upward through the shroud engage suitable provisions on the covering strip 18. Desirably, the covering strip 18 is wider than the tubes and fins so as to protect them from inJury.

The heater illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8 may be secured to the dash 50 in the manner above described for the heater illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5. As so installed, the heater is adapted for connection to a fresh-air conduit 90 which extends through the dash E0 in line with the pocket formed by the bottom wall Ill and side walls I of the core-support. The conduit 90 may extend to any desired point, but is shown in Fig. 9 as extending forwardly of the automobile to a point in rear of theradiator 8!, where it is provided with an enlarged inlet 82.

In the conduit 96, it is desirable to provide an air filter to remove dust and dirt which otherwise would enter the heater casing. Conveniently, the filter is in the form of a suitably supported sheet 93 of glass wool or equivalent material disposed obliquely in the inlet 82 of the conduit 90 and sloping rearwardly and downwardly. By this diagonal disposition of the filter, it may be made of larger area and will not so readily become clogged.

Some of the dust and dirt, and especially the larger particles thereof, which enter the inlet 92 will not become lodged in the filter 83 but instead will drop to the lower wall of the inlet 92. To prevent any such substance from accumulating in the angle between the lower wall of the inlet and the filter, I provide in the lower wall adiacent the lower edge of the filter an opening 94 extending completely across the inlet. This downwardly through the air passages provideth opening is sufliciently narrow to avoid an excessive air loss through it, but is still large enough to permit the egress of dust particles and water which enter the inlet S! but do not adhere to the filter.

A valve 86 in the conduit 90 controls fiow therethroush. When this valve is open. and especially if the automobile is in motion, air will enter the inlet 82, pass through the filter 83 and into the pocket at the center of the coresupport. As is clear from the drawings, the coresupport does not extend to the upper wall of the casing SI; and air entering through the conduit 8|! therefore passes upwardly out of the pocket and mingles with air entering through the openings 85 in the upper wall of the casing.

I have illustrated in Fig. 11 a heater casing generally similar-to that shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 in having doors 82 at its sides; but the casing illustrated in Fig. 11 diifers from that shown in Figs. 6 to 8 in that a third door I00 is substituted for the louvers G3.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automobile body heater of th circulating fluid type, a core, a casing enclosing said core, said casing having a bottom wall and a front wall curved in a horizontal plane, said front wall being provided with a series of air-discharge openings spaced along it, said bottom wall being provided adjacent said front wall with a series of spaced air-discharge openings, means for advancing air through said core and discharging it through said discharge openings, and common means for controlling the quantity of air discharged from said openings.

2. In an automobile having a dash, a heater mounted on said dash and including a casing, said casing being provided with one or more main air-discharge openings directed generally rearwardly of the automobile and with one or more auxiliary openings directed generally downwardly, means for forcing heated air through said openings, and common means for regulating in the same sense the airdischarged from both said main and auxiliary openings.

3. In an automobile-body heater, a heating element, a casing therefor, said casing having a curved wall provided with a row of air-discharge openings spaced along said wall in the plane of curvature thereof, a plurality of air-controlling members mounted for independent sliding movement along said row of openings, and means for advancing air past said heating element and for discharging it through said openings.

4. In an automobile-body heater of the circulating fluid type, a. core-support having a bottom wall and a U-shaped side wall, a plurality .of nested U-shaped tubes embracing the side wall of said support and spaced from each other and from said side wall, fins disposed in the spaces thus provided, and a casing within which said core and core-support are mounted.

5- The invention set forth in claim 4 with the addition of an electric motor secured to the bottom wall of said core-support and disposed within the U-shaped side wall thereof said motor having a shaft projecting downwardly beyond said bottom wall, and a fan on said shaft.

6. In an automobile body heater of the circulating fluid type, a core having vertical air passages, a motor mounted in said core and having a vertical shaft, a fan mounted on said shaft below sa d core and operative to draw air downwardly therethrough, a casing enclosing said core and fan, said casing having beneath said core a front wall curved in a horizontal plane and provided ings, and one or more members associated with said openings and movable horizontally along said wall to control the discharge of air from the casing.

'7. In an automobile body heater of the circulating fluid type, a core having vertical air passages, a motor mounted in said core and having a vertical shaft, a fan mounted on said shaft below said core and operative to draw air downwardly therethrough, a casing enclosing said core and fan, said casing having beneath said core a front wall courved in a horizontal plane and provided with circumferentially spaced air-discharge openi'ngs, said casing also having a bottom wall provided adjacent said front wall with a series of spaced air-discharge openings, and a common means for regulating the quantity of air discharged from the openings in both said front and bottom walls.

8. In an automobile body heater oi the circulating fluid type. a core having vertical air passages, a motor mounted in said core and having a vertical shaft, a fan mounted on said shaft below said core and operative to draw air downwardly therethrough. a casing enclosing said core and fan, said casing having beneath said core a front wall curved in a horizontal plane and extending for at least 90 of curvature, said front wall being provided with air-discharge openings spaced therealong, and means for independently regulating the quantity of air discharged from each of said openings.

EARL C. BOOTH. 

